Say it with me "Skeegie" So when you see Tsukiji, you know what I'm talking about. Get up at five, catch first possible train, transfer as necessary, get there as early as possible for the tuna auction. The value of these enormous fish is astonishing. The cart with five of them is probably worth, conservatively, a hundred thousand dollars. The 2008 record price for a single 276 Kg Bluefin Tuna was 6,000,000 yen, or very roughly (depending on the exchange), 60,000$.
Thoughts, of course, on overfishing and endangered species abound.
It's astonishing that they allow tourists in there. The pace at which the little trucks and forklifts are moving is perilous for the uninitiated. I had to use my stagehand reflexes (ie, how fast can you get the last doughnut?) to stay out of the way.
